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One dog and two cats are unaccounted for after fire gutted a Markham home Thursday evening.

The blaze broke out inside a home on Wincanton Road near 14th Avenue and Brimley Road at around 6 p.m.

At the peak of the fire, 10 nearby houses were evacuated as a precaution, however residents were allowed to return home a short time later.

No injuries have been reported.

“We are obviously devastated by this, but right now we are just concerned about the animals in the house,” Kimberly Wiener, the adult daughter of the homeowner, told reporters Thursday night. “We have two cats and a puppy – and we are just hoping that they escaped through the back door.”

About seven fire trucks were dispatched to the scene to fight the blaze, which took more than an hour to get under control.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Wiener told reporters that a massage chair may be to blame.

“We believe that’s what caught on fire and caused the house to burn down,” she said.

The house is believed to be a total loss.

Police say one neighbouring home may have also suffered minor damage as a result of the blaze.

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Photos

This aerial photo shows a Markham home engulfed in flames on Thursday, February 21. Seven fire trucks have been called in to battle the blaze.